At the start of Privacy Awareness Week, the Biometrics Institute has released the latest update to its Privacy Guidelines.

The good practice guidelines include the significant international implications introduced by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), applied to biometrics.

Every two years, the Biometrics Institute updates its Privacy Guidelines to make sure they reflect global changes in technology or legislation which impacts privacy. They are the result of extensive monitoring and consultation by its Privacy and Policy Expert Group, which comprises a broad spectrum of privacy specialists from around the globe.

“Biometrics technology and its applications are growing exponentially. In the last two years, privacy and what is meant by informed consent has gone under the spotlight. Whether you’re a supplier, researcher, operator, purchaser, manager or controller of biometric systems, it’s never been more important to protect privacy and to act ethically with people’s data. Our 2019 guidelines are the first comprehensive, universal privacy guidelines for biometrics". said Isabelle Moeller, Chief Executive, Biometrics Institute

The guidelines, first introduced to Biometrics Institute members in 2006, are made up of 16 principles ranging from non-discrimination to maintaining a strong privacy environment. They also contain a methodology to make planning, implementing and managing them straightforward, regardless of members’ maturity in using biometrics.